The location or air registers in vehicles may be designed to maximize the effectiveness of the heating/ventilation/air condition (HVAC) of the vehicle and to direct air at a desired area of an occupant's body. A theoretical point in the vehicle that is referred to as the “H-point” may be used to identify the location of the air registers. The H-point is typically identified as the pivot point between the torso and upper legs of an occupant, i.e., through the hips, of a 50% male. As such, an occupant sits relatively higher in a vehicle that is designed to have a relatively high H-point and, conversely, an occupant sits relatively lower in a vehicle that is designed to have a relatively low H-point.
Since the locations of various areas of the occupant's body in the vehicle is dependent on the H-point, the most effective location of the air registers may be designed based on the H-point to provide the registers to be directed at the desired area of the occupant's body. However, the architecture of the vehicle and packaging of various components limits the location of the air registers and may prevent the placement of the air registers in the most effective location.
As one example, the vehicle may include a floor console between the driver seat and the front passenger seat. The floor console may include an armrest that is pivotable between an open position to expose a storage compartment in the floor console and a closed position to cover the storage compartment. The floor console may include an air register facing rearwardly into a rear passenger area of the vehicle. The H-points of the occupants in the rear passenger area may be used to determine the most effective location of the air register. However, the limited area between the driver seat and the front passenger seat, the location and design of the storage compartment, and the location and design of the arm rest are all limiting factors on placement of the air register. As such, there remains an opportunity to design a floor console that allows for effective placement of the air register.